Distribution of taurine during cheese-making from goat milk

Taurine, a sulfonated amino acid derived from methionine and cysteine metabolism, has been identified as a major player in numerous biological functions. The distribution of taurine among dairy products, their by-products and waste was followed during different cheese-making processes based on goat's milk. The results obtained showed that, compared with the amount of taurine present in the starting milk, the biggest proportion of taurine was found in whey while only 12.5-16.5% was found in the goats' cheeses. Besides, a significantly higher content of taurine was found in Cacioricotta goats' cheese, obtained from milk after initial heating at 95°C for 5 min, than in Caprino goat's cheese, obtained from milk heated at lower temperatures, thus highlighting the role of thermal treatment for taurine retention. The findings indicated the opportunity of recovering taurine from whey.